The 2015 exhibition

Saw the touring exhibition of last year’s competition in Bristol’s M Shed today. As ever much to admire, study and get inspired by. We also liked the fridge magnets.

Snow Hare fridge magnet

The exhibition space at M Shed is great for photography. It’s got enough space for plenty of work to get shown without feeling squeezed. This includes space for stop motion and a slideshow of the public’s choice.

Not just wildlife but the natural world

Perhaps the use of the environment is greater in this exhibition or I maybe simply noticed it more. A lot of images have a clear context whether tiny weevils on a plant stem or an aerial shot of small flamingoes.

Some parts of the competition are focussed (had to get that in somewhere) on the environment itself. I liked this and found the mix of small and large scale approaches kept it interesting.

The world is changing

The effects of climate change, politics and economics all feature. This added a depth to the exhibition for me as a reminder of mankind being able to influence nature.

Photographic themes

There were some clear themes from previous years and nature photography in general. All were beautifully executed and in no way disappointing.

Some were visual as with the blue sea and shark combination or using sand dunes. More interesting for me were descriptions of how photographers achieved shots. These included using simple patience, bait of various kinds, testing their stamina in adverse conditions or simply taking lots of shots before achieving what they wanted.

Enter for 2016?

Well the familiar scenes of foxes and other found shots are encouraging but the standard is very high. I’m pondering it which is a good excuse. If you’re tempted have a go!

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An old favourite

I’ve visited the Arnolfini many times since moving to the Westcountry in 1985.

Whether just a cuppa and cake or a meal the food and service is uniformly good. It does get crowded as a result though so be prepared to share a table, which can lead to interesting conversation. All of which can refresh you ready to savour the current exihibition or try to resist the tempatation of the book shop!

The Arnolfini is handily close to Temple Meads for pre-train dining, and sitting outside looking across the water is a pleasure on a warm evening.

Shopping

The author

Intro

Welcome to a blog that is the culmination of nearly fifty years of visiting cafes and nearly forty years of a fascination with history in its more tangible forms, including playing tabletop games with little metal men, and dabbing about with photography